New-Tech Magazine - Europe | January Digital edition

System On Modules and Small Board Computer Make or Buy

Amir Sherman, Arrow Central Europe GmbH

Definition of challenge - Should we make anymore? The System on Module, which is sometimes referred to as a Computer on Module (CoM) or SBC (Small Board Computer), is designed to plug into a carrier, or base board, and is generally a small processor module with a CPU and standard I/O capability. The complex effort associated with designing a CPU subsystem is avoided by using SoM functionality and a custom base board. What’s inside the SoM (System On Module)? • Application Processor from leading semiconductors companies such as Freescale, Texas Instruments, Atmel, Qualcomm, Altera • Memories, both Flash (NAND/NOR)

LG etc.) so the customers need to understand that they don’t need to “Invent the Wheel” again. A couple of years ago it was very popular to use this solution in low quantity projects - 100pcs to 500pcs per year - but lately, where the prices of processors based on ARM cores have become very cheap (because of the mobile and tablet market that made the core so cost competitive), customers are using the SoMs in 5000 and even 10000pcs per year projects or higher. In this example, the calculation is for a microprocessor based design with a two Man Year NRE for hardware, software, and production test development, prototypes and debug and software maintenance for another

and RAM (DDR2/3) • WiFi/Bluetooth

• Gigabit Phy • Audio Codec • PMIC (Power Management IC) • Touch Controller And if you think about it, the SoM Block Diagram is very similar to (perhaps 70% the same as) a mobile phone or tablet. Today this type of question is raised again and again in most of the development companies because the “Need for Speed” and the “Need for IoT” is part of every discussion. Almost every segment wants to add a “mobile phone” to its application and there are few companies in the world that know how to develop a good mobile phone (Apple , Samsung,

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